Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Hit by an Online Shopping Scam – How to Protect Yourself
If you’ve ever clicked “buy” and later realized the website was fake, or paid for something that never arrived, you’re far from alone. According to a November 2025 study from the Pew Research Center, about one in three Americans say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is a stark reminder that fraud is not a rare edge case—it’s a regular risk for anyone who shops online.
What happened
Pew surveyed a representative sample of U.S. adults and found that roughly 33% reported having been the victim of an online shopping scam. The study also broke down the data by age, income, and education. While younger adults (18–29) reported slightly higher rates, the numbers were significant across all demographics. The most common scams involved fake storefronts, phishing emails that mimic legitimate retailers, and fraudulent transactions on payment apps like Venmo or Zelle.
The research did not claim that every scam results in money lost, but many victims did lose funds or personal information. The full report is available at Pew Research Center’s website.
Why it matters
Online shopping has become a routine part of American life, but convenience can come with a hidden cost. Scammers are constantly refining their tactics. They set up sites that look nearly identical to major retailers, run ads on social media with unbelievable discounts, and send messages that appear to be from companies you trust. Once you hand over your credit card details or send money through an app, recovering it can be difficult—especially if you used a payment method with limited fraud protection.
The Pew data underscores that this is not a niche problem. It’s a mainstream one. And because scammers often target people during the holiday season or big sales events, understanding how to spot and avoid these schemes is more important than ever.
What readers can do
You don’t need to stop shopping online, but you can take a few practical steps to reduce your risk.
Stick with known retailers. If you’re browsing on social media or through a search ad, check the website’s URL carefully. Look for misspellings, odd domain extensions (like “.shop” instead of “.com”), or a lack of contact information. When in doubt, go directly to the company’s main website rather than clicking a link.
Use a credit card, not a debit card or wire transfer. Credit cards offer stronger fraud protection. Many issuers allow you to dispute charges and get your money back. Debit cards and payment apps like Cash App or Zelle are much harder to reverse if you send money to a scammer. The same goes for gift cards—legitimate businesses will never ask you to pay with a gift card.
Enable purchase protection where available. Some payment apps now offer purchase protection if you use them for goods and services rather than sending money to friends. Check your settings before paying.
Watch for red flags. Unrealistic discounts (70% off popular items), poor grammar on the website, and pressure to act fast (“limited stock!”) are common signs of a fake storefront. Also, be cautious of emails that claim there’s a problem with your order and ask you to log in through a link—that is a classic phishing trick.
If you think you’ve been scammed, act quickly. Contact your bank or credit card issuer to freeze the card and report the transaction. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Change passwords for the accounts you used, and monitor your statements for any additional unauthorized charges.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, “About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them,” November 2025.
- Pew Research Center, “Online Scams and Attacks in America Today,” July 2025.